Silence
by Kylie-Chan
Summary: Roxas is curious about whether or not Nobodies really have hearts. Axel wishes he wasn't.


A/N: A story I wrote a couple months ago, based on this picture by Norikuu: norikuu.deviantart. com/ art/KH- Listening- for-a-Miracle-80070590 (get rid of the spaces). This could be considered as slash, if you really want it to, but I was mostly thinking of the angst while writing this, not so much romance XD;

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney/Square, not me. Obviously.

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"Do you think it's true?"

Axel glances back curiously, halfway through the action of putting his Chakrams away. "What?"

Roxas is leaning against the wall, not really looking at Axel, or anything else in the room, for that matter. His eyes are distant, like he's contemplating something important. "That we don't have hearts. Do you think it's true?"

Axel nearly drops his weapons in surprise, then quickly finishes putting them away. When he answers, he makes his voice sound nonchalant. "Well yeah, of course. Don't you?"

"I don't know." Axel watches with interest as Roxas moves towards him, until the blond is standing right in front of him. He's a little taken aback when Roxas rests one of his hands against his chest, but he's mostly afraid and apprehensive, because he thinks he knows what the next question will be.

"Can I…Can I listen?" Roxas's voice is timid, hesitant, and so very unlike him that Axel finds himself staring down at the blond in surprise. The icy exterior isn't there; in its place is a pleading, almost vulnerable expression, one that Axel has never seen before.

"You won't hear anything," Axel says flatly, wanting desperately for the subject to be dropped. Roxas doesn't reply, at least not with words; he just continues to look at him, his blue eyes saying more than any words could have conveyed. Axel wants to say no, wants to say some sort of sarcastic remark that will piss the boy off and make him leave, wants to do _something_ to get out of this damn situation, because really, his heart (or lack thereof) is just a bit of a sensitive topic for him.

"…Fine. Just don't get your hopes up." He never could say no to Roxas.

The boy doesn't say anything to this, never being one to waste words, but simply begins to unzip Axel's jacket. The redhead absently notices that his fingers are trembling. He soon feels those same trembling fingers gently pulling him down; Axel takes this as a hint and lies down on the floor, a shiver passing through his body when the back of his neck makes contact with the cold surface. His breath catches in his throat when he feels Roxas's hair and skin pressing against his chest. The blond's ear is pressed against where his heart should be, and Axel curls an arm around his waist, wanting to concentrate on that contact instead.

For a few, agonizing seconds, the room is completely silent.

Then Roxas lets out a small exhale of breath, and Axel chances a look at his face. His expression isn't quite disappointed; more than anything, it's very…sad. As if he desperately wishes that he could tell Axel he hears something more than his shallow breathing. It's almost like he's more upset about what Axel thinks than he is about his lack of a heart. In some distant corner of his mind, Axel is happy that the blond cares about how he feels. Mostly, though, he just wants to cry. Instead, he just clenches a fistful of his coat and looks away.

He tries to ignore the fact that somewhere inside of him, he feels something breaking. Not a heart, of course, but something.

"I told you," he says. He wonders if he sounds as hollow as he feels.

It is another few moments before Roxas responds, in a voice that is barely above a whisper. "I know." Roxas's lips press against his chest, lightly, so Axel can feel it when he hears him say, "I'm sorry." For the first time since Axel met him, he actually sounds like he means it.

Axel closes his eyes and tells himself that it doesn't hurt, not really, because he's always known that there's nothing there. He's a Nobody, after all, and Nobodies don't have hearts. It's a fact. He used to accept it so easily, too, before Roxas came along.

He just doesn't understand how something that's not even there can cause him so much pain.


End file.
